The Girl and The God
by lightning bug
Summary: Alternate ending to 'Crown' Maewen bargins with The One to get back to the past. She suceeds, and as she travels Dalemark with Mitt, Moril, and all the others, she starts to realize that as her history is changed, so will Dalemark's. Updated October 11, 2
1. Back to the Future!

** **

**Damn.**

**Double Damn.**

**Triple Flaming Ammet Damn.**

**(I hope that no small children are reading this)**

** **

I'm back, the unofficial biggest Dalemark fan in the world and universe and any other scientific galaxy out there.

And the only thing I can think of saying is "Damn"

I said that I would write something about the Uprising, but after reading cennorethsdaughter's fic "Such Divinity", I was struck by an idea. What if Maewen had made some sort of bargain with the One? It seemed to me that she didn't have that many friends in her world, and I'm sure she'd rather go back in time instead.

**So kudos to cennorethsdaughter for inspiring me to write this. When you've finished reading, review it a few hundred times and I'll love you forever.**

**lightning bug**

_'"Just hold it for me while I do some sketches" He passed her the statue. As soon as her hands were on it, she was not there any longer.'- Crown of Dalemark_

Maewen found herself standing where she had been that morning. Wend was in the process of putting up the golden statue. "No!" she yelled, and ran towards him. Wend, who didn't seem surprised at her sudden reappearance, continued putting the statue in its case. "You can't put it up! I've got to go back!" She kept trying to grab it from him as he held her back. Maewen found that she was crying again. "No, I've got to go back, please, let me go back! Please!" 

"No, you can't. You've done your duty, you can't go." Wend said, in an unnervingly calm matter. And just as he was about to lock up the statue, he froze. His arm was still holding her back, still in the air. Maewen could see out the window that a bird was frozen in the air, mid-flying. 

And then she heard the voice again. It was the One, whispering in her ear. "And why must you go back?" the voice said.

Maewen tried to compose herself. "Because I'm happy there. I have friends."

She knew that He knew why she wanted to go back, but she realized he was testing her. "Do you not have friends in your time?"

"Horses don't make for good conversationalists." She said dully.

The One laughed.

"What about your parents?"

"They wouldn't notice me even if I was gone."

"Well, it is possible for me to send you back, but you must name the one real reason why you must go back." the One said.

Maewen knew that if she could see Him, He would have an evil smile on his face. He wanted to see if she could admit that she was in love with Mitt. And she knew that if she said something else, H wouldn't deem her worthy enough to go back.

Maewen let out a sigh. "I want to go back because of Mitt. He is my only true friend. I want to be with him and support him through the Uprising. I want him to have someone he can tell things to. I want him to have another friend besides Moril. I want to go because I know that I'm in love with him." There, I've said it, she thought, and a bunch of other good stuff.

"Very well. But you must be prepared to spend your life there, and with the knowledge that you will never be born in this world. When I send you back, you will be erased from the memories of everyone in this world. Are you prepared to live with that?"

Maewen gulped. It was a big decision; live in the world she was born to and had a life in, or the one that she would give anything to go back to.

"Yes." She said, startled by the confidence in her own voice.

"Very well." Then there was that dark fog thing again, and then suddenly, things got very cold.

Once again, Maewen's clothes were transforming. But now, instead of the Hearthwoman's uniform, her shorts and t-shirt were turning into a dress. Not a ball dress, a dress that one would wear when going on a very long trip. But it was still a very pretty dress, prettier than anything in her closet back at home.

Home. Maewen found herself choking up at the thought. She would never see it again. 'Come on Mayelbridwen, you can't go feeling sorry for yourself now, you made your decision and now you must live with it. No one at home will even remember you. As of now, your home may not even exist.'

Maewen looked around trying to take in her surroundings. The only thing she could see in the coming darkness were trees. "Oh great." She mumbled. "Mitt, where are you?" 

Suddenly, as though in answer to her question, a fire started to the left of her. It lit up the area near it, and she could see a camp. Maewen started running towards it, catching branches in her hair. She put a hand up to pull them out, and found that her hair had two braids in the front that were pulled back with a ribbon. She ran on and just as she was edging the outskirts, two thoughts struck her; "If they're going on an uprising, and I come bounding out of a dark forest, chances are they'll shoot me before they really see me." And, "How am I going to explain who I am to them?"

She edged along the trees, keeping out sight of the main fire. Maewen darted out and started walking along the back of the tents. One tent, larger than all the others, was just in sight. Thinking that she was home free, Maewen started running towards it. 

"Who are you?" Maewen stopped running. Right in front of her was a girl a little older than her, with bright red hair. She guessed that, by the hair, it was Moril's sister. Oh, what was her name?

"I need to see Mitt." Maewen said.

"Oh sure, I'm just going to let someone I don't know waltz into the Mitt's tent. You've probably been sent to kill him." she said, eying her suspiciously.

Their family's obsessed with suspicions about people murdering others, Maewen thought, remembering Moril's accusations to Mitt.

"I really need to see Mitt." Maewen said again. "He knows who I am, just show me to him, and he'll know who I am."

"Moril!" the girl yelled. "Come here quickly!" then she turned to Maewen. "You better be telling the truth. We've had a dozen spies here, claiming they knew him, and if you're another one of them, you won't come out of this as pretty as you are now."

Moril came from around one of the tents, a piece of bread in one hand and his other draped over the Cwidder. He almost dropped both though, when he saw her. 

"Nor- I mean, Maewen." He looked like he'd seen a ghost. "You're back." He ran up to give her a hug, the Cwidder bumping into her side. "We need to take you to Mitt right now. Brid, stay here." He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the great tent, Brid with a shocked look on her face behind them. 

"Mitt miss- I mean, we all missed you." Moril said, avoiding eye contact

Just before they got to the entrance, Maewen stopped him. "Moril, how long have I been gone?"

"Two months" said Moril distractedly. "Good, it's just him and Navis."

Inside, Maewen could hear Mitt and Navis talking. "I don't know all these numbers-oh take that look off your face! Reading and math isn't exactly the first thing a common fisherman learns!"

Moril took the smile off his face and stuck his head into the tent.

"What is it Moril?" Navis asked, his voice told Maewen he was startled by the grave look on Moril's face.

"We found someone lurking around the camp," Moril said in his gravest voice. Maewen tried her hardest not to laugh.

"Not another one." Mitt said exasperatedly. "Well, who are they?"

Moril pulled her into view. "She goes by the name of Maewen Singer."

Mitt looked as though he had just been pushed into a very cold lake. Navis had the expression of someone who's just been tricked by a clever clown and still doesn't know how they did it. 

"Flaming Ammet." Mitt said under his breath, still half-speechless.

Navis though, got over his shock quickly. "We were under the impression that you had been sent back to your time by order of the One."

"Navis, could you leave for a second?" Mitt asked, ignoring his sarcasm. "Moril, Maewen and I need to talk."

Navis smirked at them. "Alright, we can go over the maps after supper."

After he had left, Moril and Mitt stared at her much like they had after finding out that she wasn't Noreth.

"So, you're back." Mitt said.

"Well, yes." Said Maewen, feeling that this was inadequate to say after having been missing for two months. In fact, the longer she was here and started adapting to the time, it started to feel like it had been two months. Sudden feelings of missing and loneliness started to fill her, until she was full of sadness. But the sadness was overcome with being back, back where she belonged.

Belonged? Is that the right word? Technically, I belong two hundred years from now, Maewen thought. But I was never happy there. No friends, no family that really cared.

No, belonged wasn't the right word, but happy was. And happiness, she decided, was much more important than what century you are in.

"Yes, the One let me, he knew I wanted to be back." She said. She really didn't want to tell them what she had given up. Mitt would probably try and make her go back, which would make her feel guilty, and then she'd miss home, and everything would be horrible.

I'll just change the subject if they ask, she decided. "So where-" Maewen was cut off though by the two people running into the room. It was Ynen and Kialin, wide smiles on their faces.

"Father just told us!" Ynen said, giving Maewen a shy hug, which she returned, making him blush.

Kialin shook her hand in that lordly way if his. "And we thought that you weren't coming back. Mi- we were all very upset." Kialin cleared his throat and changed the subject. "So, what did you have to give up to come back?"

Everyone in the room was suddenly looking at her. Maewen felt her cheeks get hot and knew they must be a bright red color. 

"Well, um, it's sort of complicated." She really didn't want to say anything. But seeing the earnest faces of the people she had stood with while Mitt was crowned, she relented.

"My life in my world." She said, looking at the ground.

The tent broke into noise as everyone started talking at once. "You did what?" Moril asked, his voice shrill.

"No way, no way." Mitt said, shaking his head. "You're going back, you can't just do that."

"Did you ever hear me say I missed my family?" Maewen shrieked above the din. "Did you ever hear me say I wanted to go home? That's because I want to be here, with all of you! I've made my choice and nothing can change it. I'm sorry, but you'll just have to deal with me."

The room went quiet. "Fine," Mitt said. "It's not as though we have a choice. I suppose we'll just have to deal with you sending history in circles again."

Maewen smiled. Strike, wallop, smash, and a nice stolen cup. Who knows, I might invent cars.

"So, I suppose we ought to see if dinner's prepared" Kialin said. "I better tell them that we have another person with us." Kialin left the tent, telling Maewen one last time how glad he was to see her again.

"I guess I should go talk to father." Ynen said. "He wanted to see me about my lessons." Then Ynen left.

Moril cleared his throat. "You don't mid rooming with Brid do you?" He asked. "You don't? Good, I'll go tell her" Then Moril left, leaving Maewen and Mitt alone for the first time in a while.

"Hi" She said finally, breaking the silence.

"Hullo" He said back, smiling at her.

Before Maewen even knew how she had gotten the courage to do it, she was hugging Mitt again, almost crying, but laughing more than anything.

"I missed you a lot too." Mitt said, starting to laugh himself.

Maewen stood back to look at him. He looked very much the same. But there was something new, this strange invisible power coming from him. But in all that power, he seemed uncomfortable in it, as though he could only have that power under special circumstances. Like he needed the right accessories.

That's when it hit her. She knew what was missing. In one corner of the room, she could see the Crown propped on a chair. She went over to pick it up. "Never thought I'd be doing this again," she said. Mitt smiled and bent his head.

Half-expecting Keril to come walking in, she fit the crown onto his head. It was a perfect fit. 

Maewen giggled. 

"What?" Mitt asked.

"It's nothing, it's just with that crown on, you manage to look regal and like that same boy who put up with all my strangeness on the Green Roads" Maewen smiled.

From outside, Moril called "Come along, it's dinner time you two!"

Smiling, the Girl and the King walked out of the tent, towards a very strange upcoming adventure

"You let her come back?" Cennoreth asked. "This is going to take some weaving and unpicking you realize?"

The One sighed. Cennoreth, bless her, could overreact a bit. "Yes, she told me truth. I value that. And she had asked in the stronghold."

Ammet shook his head. "She is armed with information from the future."

"Yes, but none of the things that really matter. True, she does know some battle outcomes-what child doesn't- and some dates. But she never learned anything about any of them. The most she knows is to make sure the singer gets that portrait done." The One said. It had been a long day, sending people back and forth to the future was tough work.

Cennoreth, still upset, turned on her brother. "Duck, this is all your fault!"

"Calm down Tanaqui!" Wend said. Reluctantly, she turned her glare into a mere stare. "Yes I sent her back…but looking back on it, doesn't it seem like the right choice?"

The One sighed for the millionth time that day. "Yes it was! Hasn't anyone been listening to me?" He took the silence for a 'no'. "Please, we will have a hundred years to reflect on this. Don't we have some things to do?"

All of the assembled Undying grumbled and walked away to their homes, all thinking about this small girl who was suddenly causing a commotion.

**A.N: Okay, the reason I decided not to let Maewen stay for longer than a minute in her world was because I didn't want her to know anything that would happen. She'd go crazy wondering when Biffa was going to come in and steal Mitt. On the other hand, I'm going to go crazy finding a way to cut Biffa out. Kill her off? That may work…**

**Don't ask about the Undying assembly. It's something you might be seeing often in this story.**

**Well, that was my first chapter of my new Dalemark Quartet story. Hope you enjoyed it and I am expecting an e-mail or review on the message boards…now.**

**Claire/Maewensdaughter/lightning bug**


	2. Decisions are made

            A.N: Thank you for all the reviews (see notes at the bottom)! Here's the next chapter, a bit later than expected.

            Maewen had never been happier. True, she was sitting on a dirty log, eating something that looked older than the aforementioned log, and it was rather cold out. But that really didn't matter. She was back home.

            Mitt and Moril were filling her in on the things that she had missed. Not much apparently, but enough that it made for a good conversation.

            "So, we're almost at Gardale, and we'll be dropping off Brid there in three days-she's missed start-of-term, but she did last year too, and it didn't matter much" Moril said, filling her in on their current location.

            There were a lot of untold things that Maewen was picking up through the conversation.

            First, Kialin had shared some of that adventure he and Moril had had with Brid too. There was some animosity between them, but they were obviously in love, though they both thought that no one else knew.

            Second, Mitt was still dancing circles around Hildy whenever she was brought up in a conversation. Maewen knew that they had spent time on that boat together and had survived some dangerous adventure, but that was about all she knew. She wished she knew why Mitt still put up with her, and that was a mystery that might never be solved.

            Third, Navis, for all his sarcasm, seemed to have real faith in Mitt. Though he could be damn cynical most- well, really all of the time, he beamed with pride whenever Mitt brought up a plan that sounded successful. Maewen knew that Navis had wanted Mitt to be king all along, and it seemed like he was getting his wish.

            Fourth, Brid was still wary of all Southerners. Moril was still a bit uncomfortable with them, but with Brid, it wouldn't have surprised anyone if she killed all the Southern soldiers in one night.

            She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up into Mitt's face.

            "We need to talk," He said. "Come on."

            Maewen made her apologies and followed Mitt. He was walking toward a small valley. "You walk too slowly" he commented.

            "I'm not six feet tall." She said back.

            Mitt sighed, a loud fake sigh. "This is taking too long" He picked Maewen up and threw her over his shoulder. Ignoring her protests, he started running to the cup of the valley.

            When they were finally in the bottom of the dell, he put her down. "You," she pointed out, "Are a safety hazard."

            "Thank you m'lady" He said, making a mock bow.

            "So, what did you want to talk about?" Maewen asked, sitting down in the lush grass.

            "I have no idea. You, me, people, the battles." Mitt said, lying down.

            Maewen laid down too. She couldn't see Mitt, though he was only three feet over. The grass was high, up to her thighs when standing. Looking up, she could see bright stars, unspoiled by city light.

            "So, you're going down to Holland?" Maewen asked, looking at the stars.

            "Yes, that's what this is about." Mitt said, "You don't like fighting do you?"

            Maewen's stomach churned at the thought of the battle at Kernsburgh. "Not really, but I could get used to it."

            Mitt grabbed her hand in the dark, rustling through the tall stalks of grass. "No you can't. It's not something you get used to. And I don't want you getting hurt. I think we should send you to the Lawschool with Brid."

            Maewen felt the blood rush out of her head. Send her away? She'd only just got here. The only reason she came back was to be with Mitt, and now he was sending her away. And it had only been three hours since she got here!

            "I know you want to come, but you'd be horrified by it. You'll be much safer in the school. You'd hate the battles. And you'd hate me for bringing you along. And you just came back. I…we don't want you to be killed two days after you get here." Mitt said. Maewen didn't say anything. Sensing that she was angry, Mitt changed the subject. "We don't have to talk about it now. Let's talk about something else."

            "Tell me about your family." Maewen said at once. This was the one thing she had always wanted to know. "Tell me about your past. Everything up until meeting me."

            Mitt was silent for a moment, and then started talking. His life, living outside Holland, being kicked out of his home, Holland, his father, the New Hollanders, the bomb, the boat, the Holy Islands, and then the Countess and Keril.

            It was a long story, but Maewen was content with hearing Mitt's voice sail over to her through the grass, finally knowing what happened in his life. She could tell he was skimming over some of the uglier parts, but she didn't care. He stopped when he got to meeting her before they set off.

            "Could you tell it wasn't Noreth?" she asked.

            "Well, kind of, your voice was different, but really you looked just like her." Mitt said. "I really hadn't thought about it until you told us."

            "I did it though, didn't I?" Maewen mused. "I pretended I was her, and I convinced you. I still wonder though, what was Noreth like? Where she was coming from, and all that. What it felt like for her when she was killed."

            They were silent for a few moments. "We'd better get back to camp." Mitt said quietly. "They're probably wondering where you've gone."

            "And where you've gone, Your Majesty." Maewen said regally. 

            They walked silently up to the camp, not sure where the talk had gone. "You'll be in the tent with Brid." Mitt told her.

            "Are you sure that's wise?" Maewen asked. "She doesn't seem to like me very much."

            "She's just…wary." Mitt said. "Brid's been through a lot, she's jumpy. And that was a warm welcome compared to when she first met me. I think she would've killed me if Moril hadn't told her who I was. She really doesn't like Southerners."

            Mitt may have been right, but Maewen decided that Brid didn't like anyone until knowing them for at least six hours.

            When she had been told which tent was hers, she very cautiously went in, making sure that Brid knew she was there.

            "Brid?" She asked loudly. "Hi, it's Maewen. Is it all right if I come in?"

            "Sure!" Brid yelled out. She eyed Maewen when she came in. And her gaze never left her once as Maewen got ready for bed. The only time Brid looked away was when they had blown out their candle and were plunged into darkness.

            "Good night." Brid said, almost pleasantly. "And we must have a chat tomorrow."

            "Okay" Maewen said hesitantly, startled by the almost niceness in Brid's voice, and rolled over into an uneasy sleep.

            It was like a dream all morning. Maewen sat in on everything Mitt was involved in, had a long talk with Brid in which she was deemed trustworthy, and felt happier than she ever had her entire life. She didn't care that she would be going to the Lawschool now, because she knew she would at least have one friend there. 

            She wasn't too happy about having to leave the next day, but still. Things were great. Well, that great until the first attack.

            She'd been sitting on a rock, talking to Moril about music, maybe establishing a college, when they heard shouts from afar, and the shot of a gun. They looked at each other, and ran to the top of the hill, in the direction of where it had come from. At the top, they froze.

            Horses, with riders on them, were streaming into a valley not a mile beyond where they were, arrows pointed right toward them.

A.N: Short chapter, I know. But I felt like I should get _something_ out. And this will serve as an opening point for Chapter 3. 

Also, I am obviously screwing around with EVERY historical side note DWJ came up with in the glossary of _Crown_. This will be even more evident in the next few chapters. I believe it said that The Uprising started around the same time Crown ended. Well, tough. I'm rewriting history here, folks, and if you want to complain, feel free.

And to my lovely, lovely, reviewers,

**Les Yeux Violets** (Français nom du plume, tres bon!); **EvermoreElf **(Of course it's true love, anyone here not agreeing on that?); **meluriel; Dragon's Cat** (I'm suspecting you've read Crown by now…); **fairyofwallpaper; Of The Undying; crystaleyes; Heiress_of_Hufflepuff; ellemire; anonymous** (you can be peaceful once more!); **maltie** (.:hangs head in shame:. I can't believe I got that wrong. Thanks for correcting me!); **zella; Angel Street** (Don't worry, she won't die); **Moe; Taylor** (who doesn't finish Crown not wanting more?)

Thank you for your generous reviews that made my day and left me wanting to write more! Expect chapter 3 by the end of the year!


	3. Life resumes

**A.N.: Woah….so sorry about the delay on this chapter! I wish that it hadn't taken this long (and here's hoping there won't be a year-long wait on the next chapter), and I hope this is worth it. I wanted it to be longer, but I was stuck on that last paragraph, and decided to stop it there. If there are mistakes, I apologize, because every time I got that burst of inspiration, I would rush what I was writing, so God knows what I got wrong. **

**And thanks to the wonderful reviewers, without whom I wouldn't be able to continue: Kat Small, Angel Street (well, um, it didn't come out in December…), Chronicles Bailey, warrior heir (don't worry, it won't last long), Timone, Mad Sammy, aLiDa wEbSter (.:is shunned:.), zella, bobthebest (hope this satisfies!), warrior goddess, buttercu, Kat Solo, Skyler K. Daemen (Germany? Cool), fantasyfan (I wouldn't say he was in love, just hurt by her sudden attitude reversal), Tanaqui, cennorethsdaughter (yeah, you really need to update too).**

**And here it is, chapter 3**

Maewen and Moril stared for what felt like ages at the sight of the riders surging over the hill. It would have been majestic, if not for the fact that they might all be killed. Maewen dimly noticed how the horses' glossy coats shone in the sunlight.

It took too long for them to react, she knew that much. They must've stood there for at least two minutes staring at the riders in total fear. And then they ran. The two tore back to the camp, yelling at the top of their lungs.

As Maewen was yelling, she ran straight into Navis. He was about to reprimand her (he had that sarcastic look on his face) when he saw all of the soldiers moving into position.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Someone's attacking." Maewen said, breathing heavily. "I couldn't tell who."

"Mitt!" Navis roared.

Mitt was quickly informed of what was going on. He turned to Maewen and said. "Go into the woods with the others. Hide until the battle is over. Just stay away."

"No." Maewen said simply. "No."

"But you hate fighting." Moril and Mitt pleaded at the same time.

"I don't care!" Maewen almost shouted. "Give me a sword and show me where to point it. I didn't come back just so I could stand in a corner and hide; I came back so I could do something. And you're not stopping me."

Mitt stared hard at her, and finally let out a sigh. "Fine," He relented. "Go get everything you need." When he turned back, Moril was glaring at him. "Don't give me that look," Mitt said to him. "She's very convincing. Now get into the woods with Ynen and hide. Don't come out until you know that the battle is over. If we need you to do…whatever it is you do with your cwidder, then we'll get you." Mitt turned to look at the others. The thundering footfalls of the horses were getting louder. It was now or never.

"Let's go."

* * *

Maewen had never truly been in a battle before. She had hated the one at Kernsburgh, and she hadn't actually been fighting then. But this was something real. It was scary and it was violent. She had no one to protect her. She had fought and stabbed until night fell and the other army retreated.

Mitt found her sitting on a rock, looking out at valley where the army had first come from. He stared at her for a minute before quietly sitting beside her. They sat in silence, both looking upward at the stars.

Finally, Maewen spoke. She took a deep breath and then said softly, "So you were right. I don't like battles."

"Maewen…" Mitt began to say before she interrupted.

"And I'll go to the Law School with Brid." She continued. "But I won't like it, especially knowing what you're going through everyday."

"All right." Mitt said.

"I'll miss you." She said quietly.

Maewen rested her head on his shoulder. Neither said a word.

* * *

The ride to Gardale was long. But at least Maewen learned a lot about Brid in the process. It turned out that Brid was upset about being forced to leave, too. But unlike Maewen, she enjoyed the battles.

"Well, not entirely," She confessed to Maewen. "But it's much more interesting than school."

"Is it really that bad?" Maewen asked.

"Oh no, I've made it out much worse than it is." Brid assured her. "You'll enjoy it. I absolutely love it. It's just that a battle is so much more exciting than discussing martial law."

It was just the two of them. They had a great send-off that morning. Everyone said goodbye and assured them that they'd be seeing them soon. Mitt pulled her aside and said "You'll hear from me somehow."

Maewen hadn't said anything; instead she hugged him tightly and then left without a word. Now, riding farther and farther away, she had all these poignant things that she thought would be perfect to have said.

By that night, they had reached the school. Brid led the nervous Maewen to the Headmaster's office. The school hadn't looked this imposing in the daylight. The squat stone buildings seemed to loom as they walked to the main building. Maewen's thoughts were filled with the last time she was here and jumped every time she saw a shadow.

Inside the main building, torches lit the halls, erasing the shadows, but not her fears. She had always hated going to the principal's office, and this was just like that. A long, never ending highway, with the looming authority figure waiting at the end.

"So, you are Maewen Singersdaughter." The Headmaster said. Maewen supposed that he was trying to be nice, but it was late, he was tired, and he was an imposing figure as it was. Maewen just nodded silently. "Do you know anything of Law?"

Maewen was going to say 'no', but Brid broke in.

"As I'm sure you've been told, her parents died when she was young. Maewen was learning how to be a baker with her uncle, but he succumbed to a great disease last year that took the whole town. She was lucky to get out alive. She had no choice but to come here with me. _It was his idea_." Brid put great emphasis on the last sentence. Maewen understood what was going on. The Headmaster knew about Mitt, but the servants in the room didn't.

"Well," The Headmaster said, his entire attitude changed. "We'll start you with some tutoring, and once you are ready, you'll be entered into your appropriate year. Brid, you know where your dorm is, I'm sure you don't need any help getting there." Brid nodded. "And Maewen, Robin will take you to your new quarters. Good night to you both."

The second part of Maewen's life had begun.

* * *

It took time to get used to the school. Even though she was hardly mixing with any of the students, it was a whole new world. It seemed that it wasn't just Hildy who talked oddly; there was a whole other language here. Brid had written down a list of words for her to use so she would blend in, but Maewen always forgot them in her nervousness.

Then again, it wasn't like all that many people talked to her. Since she was new and on scholarship (or winthrough, she remembered that word), the other students were wary of her.

"You should spend your off-hours with me." Brid had told her. "People will get to know you if you do that." Maewen took her advice, but she couldn't stand the people Brid was friends with. They were nice enough, but they all had that feel of having spent too much time at the Law School.

And then there was all this stuff she had to learn. Math (which was very different from the math she knew), geography (easy, but memorization was hard), and Law, which was the hardest thing she had ever encountered.

It was now that Maewen began to wonder if she had made the wrong decision in coming here. The reason she had bargained with the One to come back was to be with Mitt, and he was further away than ever. She'd left her family to be with the one she'd made here, and now she was alone.

What she wouldn't give to be with him, traveling, fighting battles, not learning Law.

* * *

"I don't see why I have to learn all this Law-related stuff." Mitt complained. Navis just glared at him, and set down another large set of books. "Isn't this what Brid and Maewen will be good for?"

"Kings have to know the inner workings of politics." Navis answered.

"Can't I just learn it as I go?" Mitt said. "There's some good in learning policy on form. Right?"

"Those who don't know history are condemned to repeat it." Navis intoned.

"Fine." Mitt answered sulkily. He read for a half an hour before stopping. "Why'd you choose me?"

"Hm?" Navis asked.

"Why'd you decide I was going to be king. All you've said is that you had personal reasons. The only one you gave to Keril was that I looked like the Adon, which is nice, but not a very stable reason to base my monarchy on." Said Mitt.

Navis didn't answer right away. "Well, when I first met you, I have to admit, you made an impression on me."

"That wouldn't have anything to do with the murder attempt on your father, would it?" Mitt joked.

"That helped." Navis said. "I spent a lot of time with you on that boat, and I got to know you, in a certain sense. You had a strong connection with the gods, you showed that you were a good leader, and you were likable. And if my spoiled children thought you were worth their time, then you must have had something going for you."

Mitt smiled. "That's good to know." They were both silent for minute before Mitt spoke up again. "I know that I'm going to make it, Maewen's told me, but do you ever think that we can beat all of them?"

"I have faith in you." Navis said. "Just don't get to cocky because you think you're assured we'll win. Maewen was never supposed to be here, and it may alter everything."

"Right," said Mitt. "Will do."

"Father, Mitt?" Ynen was at the door.

"What is it?" Navis asked.

"There's a messenger from Hannart here. He wants to talk to Mitt."

"Well, that's bound to be more interesting than this." Mitt said. "Anyone want to join in the fun?"

"You shouldn't be disrespectful to Keril."

"You are."

"I'm not the king." Navis pointed out.

The messenger was waiting outside the door. "Are you Mitt Alhammittson?" The man asked.

"Yes." Mitt answered levelly. "What's the message?"

"The Earl will be here in two days time to discuss the…situation."

"That's a nice way to put it." Navis said. "How about you tell him that we'll meet him halfway at Dropwater."

It wasn't a question. Navis was so imposing that the young messenger just nodded and walked quickly away. Once he was gone, Navis turned back to Mitt. "Amazing." Mitt said.

"Yes, and someday, hopefully, you'll be just as forceful as that." Navis smiled. Then he turned serious again. "I doubt the meeting with Keril will involve a cheerful alliance, so we must plan accordingly."

"You don't think he's planning an attack, do you?" Mitt asked.

Navis thought for a moment "It's always likely, but I don't think that he would do something as rash as that."

"Yes," countered Mitt, "But his power has been threatened, and he'll go to any means possible to save it."

Navis smiled. "See, you just used some of the information you've learned."

**Let's hope it's not over a year till the next chapter. And....review!**


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